UK Journalist Gets ‘Greetings’ After ‘Doping-Tainted’ Kenya Remark as Nairobi Wins Hosting Bid

Kenyans have hit back at The Times Chief Sports Correspondent Matt Lawton after he described World Athletics’ decision to award Nairobi the 2029 World Athletics Championships as an “incredible decision”.

World Athletics announced Nairobi as the host on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, after the Kenyan capital beat London, Rome and Munich in the bidding process. Munich was selected for the 2031 edition, making Nairobi the first African city to host the senior World Athletics Championships.

Lawton first reported that London had lost its bid to Nairobi, pointing to the fact that the next three editions would be held outside Europe.

“Means three consecutive champs away from Europe. Incredible decision by World Athletics,” he wrote on X.

Asked what made the decision “incredible”, Lawton cited the three consecutive championships outside Europe and Kenya’s doping record.

“Massive doping problem in Kenya,” he said, adding that he would have preferred Africa to receive the 2031 edition while Europe hosted in 2029.

His remarks sparked a stream of responses from Kenyans, with some turning his argument about Europe missing out into jokes while others challenged the focus on doping.

Kenyans challenge Lawton’s view

Captain Kipkorir opened the reactions with a simple response to the British journalist:

“Karibu Magical Kenya.”

Ngure took a more humorous approach, arguing that athletes from Britain already come to Kenya to train before Kenyan athletes travel to London to compete.

“They simply realised Brits come to Kenya to train, then Kenyans go to London to beat them. So they decided to bring the training and the beating under one roof. Nairobi 2029,” Ngure wrote.

Nosmas followed with another jab at London’s failed bid, suggesting World Athletics had effectively brought the competition closer to where many of its leading athletes train.

“Come collect your beating at source,” the user wrote.

Wallace Kantai also turned Lawton’s post around, jokingly rewriting his announcement to focus on Africa’s long wait for the event.

Also Read: Nairobi Wins Historic Bid to Host 2029 World Athletics Championships

“About time, as Africa had missed out on hosting the twenty-one previous championships. There – I corrected it for you,” Kantai wrote.

Another user, Regis Le Fée, kept the response brief but pointed:

“The clue may be in the name ‘World’ Athletics.”

The reactions continued with Amina Wako arguing that the championships should be spread across continents rather than remaining concentrated in Europe.

“It’s called the World Championships for a reason. The event should rotate across continents,” Wako wrote, adding that hosting the competition in Nairobi was long overdue.

Theemac similarly said the decision showed that athletics was becoming a truly global sport rather than one centred on Europe.

Kenyans push back on doping focus

Lawton’s reference to Kenya’s doping record also drew a separate line of criticism.

Murira Murira said it was “appalling” that doping had taken centre stage when Kenya and Africa were involved in the hosting decision.

The user acknowledged Kenya’s doping problem but argued that sanctions have affected athletes from other countries as well, including Britain, and said Africa should not have to meet a higher standard to host the championships.

Other users focused on Kenya’s contribution to athletics. Turner2 challenged the idea that Europe should have exclusive claims to major athletics events, telling Lawton to “sit back and let Kenyans show you how it can be done.”

Josh also pointed to Kenya’s history of producing world champions, describing the hosting opportunity as long overdue.

Muteithia CK summed up another recurring theme in the responses:

“The athletics world is bigger than Europe. Karibu [Kenya].”

This online exchange came as Nairobi’s successful bid marked a major shift for the championships, with World Athletics saying the 2029 edition would be the first senior championships staged in Africa.

Also Read: World Athletics Makes Major Marathon Changes Affecting Kenyans and Global Runners

Nairobi bid built on years of athletics events

Nairobi’s selection followed an earlier unsuccessful attempt to host the 2025 championships, which were eventually awarded to Tokyo.

For 2029, Kenya returned with a bid backed by experience from previous international competitions. Nairobi hosted the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships, while the Kip Keino Classic has been part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold since its launch in 2020.

Kasarani Stadium was another major part of the proposal. The venue is undergoing a complete structural overhaul ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, two years before Nairobi stages the World Championships.

World Athletics said the bid combined the renovated stadium with operational planning, financial guarantees and a wider vision for hosting the event.

Kenya’s popularity as an athletics nation also featured in World Athletics’ assessment. Fan research cited by the governing body found that 68% of Kenyans surveyed rated their interest in athletics as high, compared with a global average of 39%.

Kenya also finished second on the medal table at the 2025 World Championships after winning seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.

Also Read: Kenya Closes in on U.S. at World Athletics Championship Medal Table

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described Nairobi’s proposal as a “compelling and emotional bid”, saying Kenya’s history in athletics and experience hosting major competitions had created the right conditions for the championships to come to Africa for the first time.

Nairobi will host the championships in September 2029 after Beijing’s 2027 edition, while Munich will stage the 2031 competition.

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Nairobi City County
PHOTO/X